Ribbon type stranding machine



Jan. 24, 1950 s, C, HALL` 2,495,251

RIBBON TYPE STRANDING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1948 2 sheets-sheet 1 "imm IN VEN TOR.

A TfaR/VEYJ Jam 24 W50 s. c. HALL 2A9525E RBBoN TYPE STRANDING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A INVENTOR. 36 J/ze//Woac/ 6C/Q//` Patented Jan. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,495,251 RIoN TYPE STRANDING MACHINE sherweoa o. Hau, Kings Beach, Calif. Application April 23, 1948, Serial No. 22,765

4 Claims.

l This invention relates to rope or twine manufacturing machines, and more particularly to a 4machine for producing rope or twine of the type having a central core covered by twisted strands of folded strip material helically wound thereon.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved rope or twine-forming machine wherein twisted strands of longitudinally folded strip material are helically wound on a central core, the torsion applied to said strands being regulated in a definite manner so that all strands are uniformly twisted, whereby the resultant product is characterized by constancy in Vits strength and appearance along its length.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for forming rope or twine from transparent plasticvmaterial in ribbon form folded, twisted and helically wound on a suitable core, the torsion on the plastic ribbon material being denitely controlled and means being proi.vided for coloring the core or applying luminous 'paint thereto, so that the core will show through the transparent wound covering and produce a decorative effect, whereby a rope of substantial strength, uniform characteristics and pleasing appearance is obtained.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a rope stranding machine constructed in accordance with the present invention. l

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view of the master bobbin wheel employed in the rope stranding machine of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through a ribbon folding die employed in the rope stranding machine of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged end view of the ribbon folding die of Figure 3 showing the strand forming slot through which the folded ribbon emerges from the die. y l

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional'detail view taken on line'6--6 of Figure 1. i

Referring to the drawings, II designates a hollow shaft which is journaled on suitable supports I2 and I3. Secured to support I2 is a base plate I4 on which is mounted a motor I5. Secured to the motor shaft is a gear I6 which meshes with a first gear I'I carried by shaft I I. Designated at 1.8- fis a third-support, spaced fromsup'port -I 2 -in shaft is a shaft 2|.

which shaft I| is journaled. Shaft carries a. sprocket wheel I9 on the inner side of support I8 and a gear on the outer side of said support.

J ournaled on supports I3 and I8 parallel to One end of shaft 2| carries a gear 22. Rotatably mounted on support I8 is an idler gear 23 which meshes with gear 2U and lwith gear 22. The other end of shaft 2| carries dially on master bobbin wheel 28 are a plurality of shafts 29, each carrying at its inner end a. bevel gear 30 which meshes with the internal gear 4teeth of female bevel gear 25. Each radial shaft `2] carries at its outer end a bevel gear 3|. Rotatably mounted in wheel 28 adjacent each bevel gear 3| is an inwardly inclined shaft 32 carrying -a bevel gear 33 which meshes with the adjacent bevel gear 3|. Secured to the end of shaft is a wheel 34. Axially aligned with each shaft 32 and rotatably mounted in wheel 34 is a generally conical ribbon folding die 35 connected to the shaft 32 by an inwardly flanged channel bar 36.

Adjacent shaft 32 each channel bar 36 has bearing brackets 31 in which is rotatably supported a ribbon spool or bobbin 38. The channel bar 36 is formed to receive a ribbon 39 as said ribbon is unwound from the bobbin 38, as shown in Figure 6, and to guide the ribbon to the folding die 35.

Each folding die 35 has secured in its interfmediate portion a pair of rearwardly tapered guide fingers 40, 48 spaced from the respective inside wall surfaces of the die and acting to fold the ribbon 39 to a generally U-shaped form as said ribbon passes through the space between the fingers and said inside wall surfaces. Rearwardly of said fingers the die has a depending tapered lug'4 I and a pair of upstanding upwardly diverging ngers 42, 42 defining a V-shaped channel with respect to lug 4|. The sides of the ribbon 39 are folded inwardly over the rear ends of lngeren, as it reaches this channel while passing through the die and when the ribbon passes the channel it is folded to four thicknesses thereof. The die 35 has a rear wall 43 formed with a slot 44 aligned with the longitudinal plane of the aforesaid V-shaped channel, the folded ribbon passing through said slot. ,Y '-Secured-to the wheel-34h57 means of brackets 45 in axial alignment with and rearwardly adjacent each folding die 35 is a hollow conical forming head 46 through which the folded ribbon passes. The forming head 46 engages the folded ribbon with sufficient friction to hold the ribbon firmly while it is being twisted, as will be subsequently described, by the axial rotation of folding die 35, without transmitting torsion rearwardly to that portion of the ribbon which has already passed throughthe forming head'.

Designated at 41 is` a strand die which is mounted on a suitable support 48 in axial alignment with shaft I I.

Journaled in supports I2 and I3. parallel to shaft I I is a shaft 49 which also extends rotatably through support 48. At its forward. endi,.shaft;49.l carries a sprocket wheel 50 which is coupled.

by a suitable chain to sprocket wheel I9. At its rear end shaft 49 carries a gear 5I. at 52 is a housing in which is journaled a shaft .53 carrying bevel gears` 5.4 and 55 on. its intermediate portion. and carrying. respectivengears. 5B and.51 at its end portions.` Gear 5T meshes with an idler gear 5.8 rotatably mounted. on. housing 52, said. idler gear being in meshwith gear 5I. lThese are ratio gears and they determine the length of lay desired inthe strand. Journaled in housing 52V is another shaft 59 carrying a gear vIll which meshesA with gear 56. Connected to the end of shaft 5,9 by a universal joint 6Iy is a v.shaft 62 journaled ina bearing bracket 6.3, shaft 62 carrying a bevel gear 64. Journaled in asup.- porting bracket 65 and provided with a conventional friction clutch` 66 is a shaft 61 carrying a 4bevel gear 63 which` meshes with. bevel gear 64. Coupled to the end of shaft 61 is one end of a shaft 69, the other end of shaft 69-beingV rotatably .supported in a bearing bracket 19; Shaft 6.9 carries a winding drumll uponwhichthe finished rope is wound.V

` Journaled` inhousing 52 are shafts. 'I2 and113 carrying bevel gears 14 and 15 respectivelymesh ing with the bevel gearsY 54 and 5.5. Carried on the ends of shafts 12 and 13 are respective grooved pulleysV 16 and 11- in. longitudinal alignment with strand die 41. An. idler roller 18.- is Aprovided between the pulleys 16 and. 11. The finished rope, shown. at 19, emerging from strand die 41, passes over the drivepulley 16, under idler pulley 18, over drive pulley 11. andlthenceto the winding drum 1 I.

Rotatably mounted. on. bracketsv 80,` 80: for:- wardly adjacent the.v forward end. of shaft', II .is a drum 6I on which is` Wound suitable;- core material, such as manila, java, cotton, or the like, shownV at. 82. The core material extends through hollow shaft II and through. the strand die 41 wherethe formed ribbon material is wound thereon.v A paint dispensing head 83 may be -mounted around-,the forward end of shaft' II- by means of a bracket t4v connected to support. I8, the head. 83 being centrally apertured to allow the core 82 to-pass therethrough. Head 83.- may 'receive paint from a suitable source by means. of va supply conduit 8.5; Thef paint isV depositedon the core as said core moves rearwardly through -the shaft II.

In operation, motor I5. rotates shaft. II- by means of thev meshed gears I6.- and I1. Shaft .2| is driven fromv shaft. I.IV throughgearsl, 23 and 22. Female bevel gear 25. is driven from shaft 2| through sprocket wheel 24, chain. 21 and sprocket wheel 26. Shafts 2,9 are` rotatedby the meshing engagement. of bevelgears 3.0.. withthe tinternal.gear.teeth of female bevelgearzZ.. Shafts Designated-I '4 32 are driven through gears 3| and 33. The folding dies 35 are therefore rotated with respect to wheels 28 and 34 while said wheels are simultaneously rotated around the axis of shaft Il, which contains the stationary core 82. Torsion is applied to the folded ribbon emerging from the folding dies 35, the torsion being effective only between the dies 35 and the forming heads 46. The twisted formed ribbon emerging from the; heads. 46v is. wrapped around the core 82 in the strand die 41. Shaft 53 is driven through sprocket wheel I9, sprocket wheel 50, shaft 49, gear 5I, gear-58, and gear 51. Shafts 12 and 13 are drivenrespectively through gears 54, 14 and 55', 15; Pulleys 16 and 11 therefore produce tension'. in the finished rope. Shaft 69 is driven by shaft61 through clutch 66, gears 68 and 64, shafts 62 and 59 and gears B0 and 56. Additional tension in the finished rope is therefore produced by the rotation of winding drum 1I.

It will thus beseenthat the machine. folds the ribbon strand. material in thedies 35, twists the formed ribbon. between the. dies 35 and 46, and thenwindsthe formed andtwisted ribbon. on the core 82v in. the stationary strand die 41. while tension is being continuously applied to the emergent finished rope product..

By using. transparent. plastic ribbon material to form. the twisted strands,.such as. cellophane or. the like, a finished rope. product is obtained which has great strength, is moisture. repellant and resistantv to soaking, is. buoyant, and is attractive in. appearance. Therope product isalso uniform. in its. characteristics throughout its length.

While a specific embodimentof a rope manu.- facturing machine has beendisclosed in the foregoing. description, it will be understood that vari.- ous. modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur. to thoseskilledin the art. Therefore, it is intendedthatno,v limitations be placed ontheinventon except as. denedby the scope. of the appended claims.y

What .is claimed. is

1. A rope forming machine comprising a hollow shaft, a first wheel carried by saidshaft, a second wheel longitudinally spaced from said first Wheel member also carriedby said shaft, a plural.- ity of bobbins rotatably mounted on. said first wheel, folding dies rotatably mounted on said second. wheel in axial alignment with the respective bobbins, means connecting the aligned bobbins and folding dies, forming dies carried by saidr second wheel in axial alignmentY with said folding dies, an annular stationary strand die axially aligned with said shaft, and means for simultaneously axially rotating said shaft and rotating the folding dies and bobbins around the axis of the respectivealigned folding and forming dies.

2. A ropeforming machine comprising support means, a hollow shaft. journaled in said support means, a first wheel member carried by said shaft; a secondwheel member rearwardly spaced from said first wheel member also carriedby said shaft, a plurality of shaft elements rotatably mounted' on said rst wheel member',V a bobbin carried by each shaft element, generally conical hollow folding dies rotatably mounted on said secondwheelmember in axial alignmentwith the respective shaft'` elements, means; rigidly connectings. the folding dies and. the shaft. elements aligned therewith, forming dies carried. by said second .wheel member rearwardly of andin. axial alignmentwitlr sind.,.folding- .dies,` a stationary annular strand die spaced rearwardly of said shaft and axially aligned therewith, and means for simultaneously axially rotating said shaft and axially rotating the shaft elements with respect to said first wheel member.

3. A rope forming machine comprising support means, a hollow shaft journaled in said support means, a rst wheel member carried by said shaft, a second wheel member carried by said shaft rearwardly spaced from said first wheel member, a bevel gear rotatably mounted on said shaft, a plurality of radial shaft elements journaled on said first wheel member, gear means coupling said shaft elements to said bevel gear, bobbin shafts journaled in said rst wheel member, means coupling each bobbin shaft to a radial shaft element, a bobbin rotatably mounted on each bobbin shaft, generally conical hollow ribbon folding dies rotatably mounted on said second wheel member in axial alignment with the respective bobbin shafts, means rigidly connecting the folding dies to the bobbin shafts aligned therewith, forming dies carried by said second wheel member rearwardly of and in axial alignment with said folding dies, a stationary annular strand die spaced rearwardly of said shaft and axially aligned therewith, and means for simul taneously axially rotating said shaft on said support means and rotating said bevel gear on said shaft.

4. A rope forming machine comprising support means, a hollow shaft journaled in said support means, a winding drum rotatably mounted transverse to and spaced rearwardly from the rear end of said shaft, spaced rst and second wheel members carried by said shaft, a plurality of bobbin shafts rotatably mounted in the forward Wheel member, bobbins rotatably carried on said bobbin shafts, generally conical hollow ribbon folding dies rotatably mounted in the rear wheel member in axial alignment with the respective bobbin shafts, means rigidly connecting the folding dies to the bobbin shafts aligned therewith, forming dies carried by said rear wheel member rearwardly of and in axial alignment with said folding dies, a stationary annular strand die between the rear end of said shaft and said winding drum and axially aligned with said shaft, and means for simultaneously rotating said shaft on said support means, said bobbin shafts in said forward wheel member, and said winding drum.

SHERWOOD C. HALL.

No references cited. 

